John J. O’Leary, the named partner of Chicago’s O’Leary Law Firm, is as comfortable on the construction site as in the courtroom and the closing table. For more than 20 years O’Leary has helped real estate developers, architects, contractors, subcontractors, lenders, investors and property managers throughout Chicagoland. He is intimately familiar with the issues that arise in the development and construction businesses – structural defects, construction delays, unanticipated site conditions, design changes, financing requirements and tenant build out provisions. Among his focus areas:

•  Real Estate Development and Litigation. O’Leary represents commercial and residential developers in all phases of real estate development, including feasibility, financing, acquisition, sale, leasing and management. John is also an experienced trial attorney. His litigation practice experience also includes commercial lease disputes, breach of real estate contract, condominium management disputes, real estate broker litigation, mortgage foreclosures and suits to quiet title.



• Construction Law and Litigation. O’Leary Law Firm has extensive experience handling construction-related matters covering the entire spectrum of construction law, from negotiating contracts and securing financing to litigating complex construction claims, O’Leary has represented various parties in construction litigation and mechanics lien claims and has extensive experience with a wide variety of defect claims, including masonry, water infiltration and mold.



• Residential Transactions and Litigation. O’Leary brings care and individual attention to clients buying or selling high-end personal residences. He has helped clients who are selling an estate on Chicago’s exclusive North Shore, as well as those purchasing a newly constructed luxury condominium.

O’Leary’s education and involvement in the legal community have reinforced his solid knowledge of the construction industry. A 1980 from Northwestern University School of Law, in 1999 O’Leary earned a Master of Laws in Real Estate Law from the John Marshall Law School. He is a member of the American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, the Chicago Bar Association Mechanics Lien Committee, the Chicago Association of Subcontractors and Affiliates, and the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago. He also serves on the Auxiliary Board of the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

The O’Leary Law Firm is located in Chicago’s Loop business district at 20 South Clark Street (between Madison and Monroe Streets). The O'Leary Law Firm serves the counties of Cook, DuPage, Lake, McHenry and Will. The cities served include Barrington, Chicago, Elmhurst, Evanston, Hinsdale, Kenilworth Naperville, Orland Park, Oakbrook, Wilmette and Woodstock.